Treating the Hen House

[Bramax]

I have had my four hybrids for about a year now. They have a wooden house. Am I right in thinking that the timber should be treated yearly with creosote?

My next question is, as proper creosote is not availabe to the general public, what is the next best thing?

My other question is what do I do with the hens whilst the house is still "wet"? If we treat the house early enough in the day, will it be OK for them to sleep in the same night? And what happens about egg laying whilst the house is out of bounds? If we put a cardboard box with some straw in the run will the girls recognise this as a temporary nest box? I know these are silly questions but having not done this before I'm not really sure how best to approach this task.

Many thanks.

 

[Margaid]

There are sites that will sell you proper creosote with out asking for proof that you're a farmer. I'm treating a secondhand house with creosote because it had red mite - but it is for use as a spare coop. Other forum members recommend 2 to 3 weeks to let the creosote dry, but apparently you can mix it 50-50 with paraffin which means it dries faster. My coop is dismantled so it'e easy to treat but be VERY careful if you're using cresote in a confined space - the toxicity is the reason it's no longer on general sale and you need eye protection as well.

You really need a spare coop if you're going to use creosote. A lot of forum members use Poultryshield on a regular basis. What are you using at the moment? I understand it is important to vary the treatment from time to time as redmite can become resistant if the same product is used continously.

My hens are still on their "hols" with a friend's flock because we have major building works, and I know she has used up one "chemical" which we've been using for about 5 weeks and is using a different product.

I've read that paraffin on it's own will stop redmite, but you still have the problem with the smell and possible contamination of the eggs.

Have a look at some of the threads about redmite, but hopefully a more experienced forum member will reply to you.

 

[foxy]

I was wondering are you just wanting to weatherproof your wooden house or looking to protect against red mite? The reason I ask is some wooden henhouses are tantalised and shouldn't need treating.

Using creosote is one option, normally used because of it's effectiveness against redmite, however it is worth noting the potential health risks associated with creosote which is why it now is restricted to professional use only. So if it just to protect you house you may want to consider other woodstains that are available, such as Sandolins (natural oak ) which is a nice one.

 

[Bramax]

Thank you for your replies.

We need to treat the house with something, as although the wood is supposed to be tanalised it still lets the rain in.

As for protection against red mite, we disinfect regualrly with poultry shield, so I don't know if treating the house with creosote is really necessary. Will look into the sandolins range for protecting the house.

 

[Marigold]

Where is the rain coming in, Bramax? If a panel somewhere isn't fitting properly it won't be effective just to treat the wood, will it? Unless the wood is totally rotten, which obviously it isn't in your coop, the rain wont get in through the panels of the sides or roof themselves.

 

[Margaid]

Tannelising doesn't stop the wood taking up water - it stops it rotting and prevents insect infestatio. Creosote sheds water because it is oil based. There are a number of wood treatment products such as Sadolin or Cuprinol which shed water but still let the wood breathe.

How is the house constructed? If it's tongue and groove check whether the gaps have opened up. You could also add some additional protection on the weather side such as a light tarpaulin - the driving rain we've had here recently would get through any gaps. Some of the websites advertising houses and hutches actually sell tailored covers but that could cut down the ventilation too much.